The invention relates to a locking mechanism at an electrical connection assembly wherein a first locking portion is attached to an elastically deformable locking arm which forms part of a first element of the connection assembly and can be made to engage or to be disengaged from a second locking portion at a second element of the connection assembly.
More particularly, the invention relates to securing the elastically deformable locking arm against being displaced in the connected condition in order to prevent unintentional disengagement of the two elements from one another. The locking mechanism can be used for locking a connector with a fixed component, for example the body part of a motor vehicle, which fixed component is associated with a second connector to which the first connector is to be connected, or it can be used for achieving a direct locking effect between two connectors which are to be connected to one another or for locking an actuating lever at multi-pole connectors, which actuating lever is to facilitate the connection of the connectors in such a way that it cannot be actuated unintentionally.
For locking connectors to one another, it forms part of the state of the art to confirm the connected condition by additionally providing a slide which, for example in the course of connecting the connectors, initially remains in a first position and which, during the relative movement of the two connectors relative to one another, is subjected to a pretension so that, as soon as the final connected position between the two connectors has been achieved and as soon as the locking arm locking said connectors has been transferred into its final position, the slide is automatically moved forward under the spring force, so that it positions itself above the locking arm and additionally secures same against being moved into the open position. If the final position between the connectors is not achieved, the securing slide is not released, so that the spring force becomes effective due to pretension and presses apart the two connectors.
It is the object of the present invention to propose a locking mechanism which can be used for different functions which have to be realized at a connection assembly and does not permit an unintentional release of the locking arm.